Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) awards are available on a competitive basis and when funds are available to US citizen, US national, or permanent resident UHM graduate and undergraduate students combining modern foreign language training with area/international studies in full-time degree programs. Please contact the center directly for information about application requirements.
Awards: $20,000 to graduate students and $5,000 to undergraduates to assist with tuition for the academic year.
Eligibility: Eligible languages for Pacific Islands Studies FLAS include Chamorro, Maori, Samoan, Tahitian, and Tongan*.
Requirements: Applicants must complete a FAFSA for the current academic year to demonstrate financial need.
Application deadline: Applications for the Fellowship are due February 1.
Apply: Go to http://www.star.hawaii.edu/scholarship and search for “FLAS” under keyword search.
Direct questions to:
Chizuko Allen
Fellowships Coordinator
School of Pacific and Asian Studies
Email: chizuko@hawaii.edu
Phone: (808) 956-2210
or
Alexander Mawyer (FLAS Committee Chair)
Professor of Pacific Islands Studies
Director of the Center for Pacific Islands Studies
Email: mawyer@hawaii.edu
Phone: (808) 956-2670
*Please note that past students have been successful in applying for a FLAS to study Pacific languages not listed here, including Marshallese and Fijian. Contact Alexander Mawyer for additional information.
ALL YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT:
Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships
What is a FLAS fellowship?
FLAS fellowships support UHM graduate and undergraduate students in acquiring modern foreign languages and area studies competencies. FLAS fellowships are contingent on funding from the U.S. Department of Education to the UH area studies centers.
What languages can be studied under the FLAS program at UHM?
Our current FLAS languages are: (East Asia) Chinese, Japanese, and Korean; (Pacific Islands) Chamorro, Maori, Samoan, Tahitian, and Tongan; (Southeast Asia) Indonesian, Khmer, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese.
Both graduate and undergraduate recipients must study 2nd-year or higher-level language courses during the award, and those studying Chinese or Japanese are expected to take 3rd-year or higher language courses. Exceptions may be made for graduate students studying 1st-year language courses, if they already have advanced proficiency in another language from the same world region.
Who can apply for FLAS fellowships?
You must be a U.S. citizen, national, or resident alien (green card holder) and full-time UHM graduate or undergraduate degree-seeking student who takes one of the FLAS approved modern foreign languages and has demonstrated financial need. Applicants for FLAS fellowships are asked to complete FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at https://fafsa.ed.gov/ and agree to make the results accessible to the FLAS selection committee. Following federal guidelines, Ph.D. dissertation research or write-up will be given lower priority. Students who are already as fluent as native speakers in that language are NOT encouraged to apply.
How do I apply?
The website you should visit depends on your language/region. For Pacific Islands FLAS fellowships, login to the main UH scholarship site: www.star.hawaii.edu/scholarship/ and search “FLAS Pacific Islands”.
What does the fellowship package include?
A summer recipient receives a $3,500 stipend plus actual tuition cost no more than $5,000. An academic year (two semesters) graduate recipient receives a $20,000 stipend plus tuition support, and an undergraduate recipient receives a $5,000 stipend plus tuition support of no more than $10,000 for the year. Again, recipients must demonstrate financial need for their study, and FLAS amounts may be reduced if you receive other aid.
Is it possible for FLAS awardees to study abroad?
If you are studying your language at advanced levels, you can submit a study abroad plan on your application for a summer or academic year fellowship. The Fellowships Coordinator needs your study abroad plan details to secure the U.S. Department of Education’s pre-approval. Again, academic year recipients must take both language and area studies courses while summer recipients must be engaged in intensive language study.
Who selects FLAS awardees, and how many awards are given?
The selection committees are comprised of UHM faculty members in respective area studies review and rank applications in a month or two, and Fellowships Coordinator sends out notifications accordingly. The number of FLAS awards vary from year to year, based on availability of funds.
What are the selection criteria?
The selection committee looks at your statement of purpose and appropriate language and area studies plans, your scholarly records, faculty recommendations, and your financial need.
What are the responsibilities of a FLAS recipient?
Recipients must carry out the course/program plans presented in the application and keep Fellowships Coordinator informed of their academic and tuition status. In addition, they must complete language proficiency tests and online reports required by the Department of Education at the start and end of the award period. Changes in academic course/program plans must be notified and approved beforehand. Failure to meet these requirements may result in withdrawal of an award, or a payback obligation. Recipients are required to participate in annual post-award surveys.
What if a student who receives an award cannot fulfill the study? Are there alternates?
Alternates are selected and are told they are alternates.
Are students eligible to apply for FLAS awards even though they have been awarded before?
Yes, they can reapply.
